INTERVIEW: Gender-Neutral Shoe Designer NiK Kacy

“I think [we’re] starting to, basically, revolutionize the way that we view bodies — Not looking at someone just based on their gender, but just based on their style,” said Nik Kacy, creator and designer of the gender-neutral and gender-equal shoe line, NiK Kacy.

Kacy transitioned to a gender-neutral individual by undergoing top surgery last August after years of struggle. “I think it just speaks volumes that when we’re young, we’re all trying to discover ourselves and we don’t know who we are and it doesn’t help that people bully us because we’re different. Just because we’re different, shouldn’t mean that we should be discriminated against. We should be celebrated because we’re different. Our society, I think, is very contradictory sometimes because they’re always telling people, ‘Think outside the box. Be different. Be unique.’ But then when you are, people beat you up for it,” said Kacy during our interview.